Influencing Factors Of Knowledge Transfer In Global Manufacturing Network Research

In the past two decades, the rising trend of Chinese manufacturing industry has been greartly relying on the industry globalization. At present, Global Production Network (GPN) has become one of the new figures of the globalization tide. GPN is an innovation of organization structure and enlarges the border of traditional production system. Thourgh GPN, the global production flagship (GPF) derives its strength from its control over critical resources and from its capacity to coordinate transactions and knowledge exchange between the different network nodes. At the same time, there is an open window for developing countries to learn and grow from GPN. It's a good era of opportunity. In current research on GPN, however, there seldom is the systematically research on the topic of knowledge.The paper proposes and tests a model with four factors describing knowledge transfer from GPF (Global production flagship) to their China participants in GPN (Global Production Network). The model is designed as two stages. In the first stage, the model proposes two factors affecting the extent of knowledge from GPF to its China participants. The two factors are transfer activities and relationship between the two parties. And in the second stage, the model proposes that knowledge from GPF, distance between the two parties and absorptive capacity of the local firm are the three factors affecting the efficiency of knowledge transfer. Our model and results offer a whole system on knowledge transfer in GPN as well as initial insights into implications for future research and management practitioners. To test the model, we study 105 manufacturing firms most in Zhejiang Province with questionnaires. The results suggest that:(1) Relationship between the two parties has a positive effect on knowledge contributed by GPF. Unexpectedly, the influence of transfer activities on knowledge contributed by GPF is not significantly positive.(2) Informal transfer activities have a positive effect on knowledge contributed by GPF. While by contrast, there is not any significant association between formal transfer activities and knowledge contributed by GPF.(3) Distance between the two parties has double influence on the efficiency of knowledge transfer. On the one hand, there is a negative association betweenknowledge from GPF and efficiency of knowledge transfer. On the other hand, distance between the two parties affects the effect of knowledge contributed by GPF on the efficiency of knowledge transfer.(4) As to the connection mode, the most significant factor is the abosorptive capacity of the local firm in the inner-firm connection. And in the between-firms connection, the most significant factor is distance between the two parties.(5) Industry has a negative effct on the efficiency of knowledge transfer. That is to say, the efficiency of knowledge transfer of Hi-tech industries is better than the traditional industries.There is not any significant association between the size of the firm and the efficiency of knowledge transfer. But there is a dramatica difference of the effect of the firm's size in different connection modes.